Getting Ziggy with it

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From rap, reggae and old school to more eclectic genres likes Moombahton, Rahul Gairola aka DJ Ziggy B plays it all. Navni Kumar talks to him about his craft.

DJ Ziggy Bstarted drumming when he was 8, break dancing at 14 and produced and performed rap music by the time he was 17. Music was definitely his calling. A few years later, India had its first break-dancing DJ, introducing audiences to old school music, re-mixed with the newest tracks by talented not-so-mainstream artists.

What made you take the plunge into becoming a DJ?

I’ve always been connected to music for as long as I can remember, so good bass lines and rhythms have always been a part of my life. I think, all the experience I gained when I was working with different DJs, helped me slide into this career effortlessly.

Who gave you your first big break?

After playing at a lot of expat nights and private parties, I got my first big break with a gig at Zook in Saket. The response was just insanely positive. We had people climbing up the walls and onto tables. It was definitely a high point.

The best thing has to be that I get to jam to the music I love and see all sorts of people enjoying it as much as me. It is a heady feeling to have a room full of people moving to your music.

The worst thing, however, is the business aspect; trying to make money while doing what you love is not always easy.

What can one see you doing when not playing music?

I used to break dance in clubs and sometimes teach local kids. Some of those kids went on to create a huge break-dance movement in Delhi. Besides, I also rap and am part of rap duo, Park Rollerz, with the other half being Austrian/Honduran rapper Phases.

On occasion, I also film videos for artists like Soom T, Million Styles, Michal Menert and Steve Aoki.